Flue-cleaner.



Nq.84,755. PATBNTED @11.14.1908. 0.NUHR1NG.

-FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. B, 1906.

114: Naam! Pin-ns ca., wAsHmomNfn, l1

PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES N'UHRING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

:ELITE-CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (2i-[ARLES NUi-iEiNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and vState of Ohio, have invented certain new and uscful Improvements in Flue-Oleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in flue cleaners.

The object of thepresent invention is to provide a cleaner of the character mentioned designed for removing accumulations of soot, cinders, etc., from the flues of steam boilers by the application of a jet of steam or other fluid accompanied by a volume of air introduced simultaneously with the steam, but drawn from the surrounding atmosphere, whereby the combined mixture will effectually force out the Vacciimulations referred to Without the necessity of employing Scrapers andthe like, as commonly practiced.

The invention further aims to provide a cleaner which is exceedingly simple, and therefore inexpensive, and one that is so constructed as to introduce a relatively large small volume of steam, and to provide means for enabling the steam to issue with great velocity at the loint of commingling with the air, thus ena ling the admixture of steam and air to traverse the tubes under the most advantageous conditions for removing the accumulations therein.

With these general objects in view, and

others that will appear as the nature of the improvements is etter understood, the invention' consists substantially in the novel construction, combination and arrangement f of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flue cleaner embodying the hereindescribed invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the cleaner head.- Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cou ling head and socket for the application of tlfie operating handle. Fig. 5

1s a transverse sectional view of one end of the hose coupling.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 8, 1906.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 346,868.

numeral l designates a cleaner head, which head is frusto-conical in form and hollow.

At the ends of the head 1 are spiders 2, which spiders are integral with the head 1, a nozzle 3 which extends longitudinally of the l head 1 being supported by the spiders 2 centrally of the hear It will be noted that the bore of the nozzle 3 ta ers from one end to the other end, the smaller end being the discharge end of the nozzle, or that end from which the fluid under pressure issues into the particular ilue of the boiler to which the cleaner is applied. By reason of the tapered bore of the nozzle 3 it is apparent that the fluid under pressure will issue with great velocity from the smaller end thereof, and by reason of the spiders 2, at the ends of the head 1, an air space is formed around the nozzle, the air from the atmosphere drawn into the larger end ofthe head 1. being of relatively larger volume than the volume of fluid issuing from the nozzle at the contracted end, thereof. Because of the velocity of the fluid under pressure that issues from the nozzle 3 a high degree of suction within the head 1 is set up, and manifestly the air following this suction is drawn into the flue, at which point it mixes .with the fluid under y pressuredischarged by the nozzle and eifecvolume .of air with but a proportionately' tually acts upon the accumulations of soot, cinders, etc. within the flue for'removing the same therefrom.

It will be noted that at a point substantially midway the ends of the head l an inclined shoulder 4 is formed. This shoulder is provided in order that when the head is -introduced into the mouth of the flue, and held therein, a tight joint will be formed, thereby preventing air assin to the flue except through the head 1 an around the nozzle 3.

The nozzle 3, at the larger end of the head l, is provided with a polygonal head the interior of which is threaded, and connected to said threaded end is a pipe, which serves as a conduit for the fluid under pressure, preferably steam, that is fed to the nozzle for discharge into the flue. By reason of the shape of the head 5, it is obvious that a wrench may be readily applied thereto for tightly joining the same with the pipe 6.

At the end of the pipe 6, o posite to that whereon the head 1 is applie is a coupling head 7. This head comprises an elbow 8 to which a flexible tube 9 is applied, and the latter is connected to the head 8 through the medium of a coupling l0. By reason of the flexibility of the tube 9, which tube is con- -nected to the source of fluid under pressure,

the cleaner may be readily applied to different flues, and to permit ready manipulation of the cleaner the head 8 is provided with an outwardly-extending socket 11 that extends in alinement with the pipe 6, said socket 11 receiving an operating handle 12 which is detachably connected to the socket 11 through the medium of any suitable device, such as a set screw 13. It will thus be seen that through the medium of the operating handle 12, when the same is applied to the socket 11, the cleaner may be readily manipulated by the operator without'inconvenience or liability to injury by reason of the heated condition of the pipe 6 and the cleaner head, when steam is employed as the propulsive agent for the air.

The coupling 10 is formed of complemental sections 14 each of which comprises a terminal saddle 15 having clamping ears 16, and the saddles of each section are connected by bars 17. The saddles 15 at one end of the couplingV are smaller than the saddles at the other end, to permit application of the coupling to the coup-ling head 8, the saddles constituting the larger end of the coupling being applied directly to theiiexible tube 9". By reason of thev construction described it will be seen that the-tube 9 is eectually connected to the coupling head 7, and liability ofseparation therefrom, by reason. of the pressure within the tube, reduced to a minimum. Each of the saddles 15l is provided with a` wedge 1.8 that cooperates with an inclined surface upon the opposite saddle, and consequently it will be seen that as the clamping bolts 16 are tightened the wedges 18 act u on said surfaces, and thus effectually binA the coupling head 7 and the flexible tube 9 in order-to tightly hold the couplin 1() thereon. A

n the use of the herein-described'cleaner the operating handle 12 is inserted in the socket 1l and fixed therein through the medium of the set screw 13. Steam having been permitted to flow into the iiexible tube 9 passes through the coupling head 7, the pipe 6, and dischar es from the reduced end of the nozzle 3. ith the cleaner head it is applied to the mouth of the boiler iiue, air is sucked into the cleaner head through the enlarged end thereof, and issuing from the smaller end the same commingles with the discharged jet of steam, and this admixture passes through the flue with great velocity, forcing the accumulations of soot, cinders, etc., therefrom. The lshoulder 4, as previously stated, forms a tight joint between the mouth ofthe flue and the exterior of the cleaner head, and thereby causes atmospheric air to pass through the head and not over the exterior thereof into the flue, Thus a relatively large volume of air is drawn in with but a proportionately small volume of steam, and this admixture traverses the flues under the most advantageous conditions for removing the accumulations therein.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured as Letters Patent, is

A flue cleaner, comprising a frusto-conical cleaner head the exterior of which is provided with an inclined shoulder, a nozzle arranged in said head. and having one of its ends projecting beyond the head and forming a polygonal projection, spiders supporting said nozzle within said head to rovide an air space between the head and t 1e nozzle, a pipe for fluid under pressure connected to saidV polygonal projection, a coupling head connected to said pipe and means for manipulating the cleaner.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presen-ce of two Witnesses.

CHARLES NUHRIING.

Witnesses:

Jos. W. BECK, ROBERT NUHRING. 

